Crash
by MikeyX58
Summary: Just when Kim thinks all is well with life, tragedy strikes in the form of a car crash that may forever change Ron's, if not Kim's, life, and perhaps not for the better. Can Kim heal Ron, or will he sink into the deep depths of depression?
1. Prologue: Shattered Bliss

**Author's note:**

**This has no relation to my other story currently being written ("Hate"), so you need not read that one in hopes of it clarifying this story (though of course, if you're interested, by all means, do read Hate). It's rated M because, though I have no outline of how this story is going to go, it will get pretty dark/sad/depressing pretty early on. My writing may not correctly give the vibe of depression, but it's sort of the intention.**

**This is not a romance story between Ron and Kim either. Some feelings might be mentioned but it's not at all the main intention of this story. The first chapter, actually a prologue, is a bit short, but I feel it accurately sets up the story in a fair manner.**

**Any reviews would be deeply appreciated, and as this story is being written in a completely different manner than my other ongoing story, if you see any errors (which is more likely in this story than Hate), please inform me and I will fix it. This may be updated slightly more frequently than my other story just because, in general, these chapters will be shorter, so keep that in mind.**

**As always, enjoy.**

**These characters do not belong to be, but to Disney.**

* * *

"Call me when you get home, okay," spoke Kim Possible, smiling at her best friend, Ron, who'd been hanging out with her a large majority of the day.

"Sure thing, KP," he replied, grabbing his jacket off the coat rack (though it still wasn't snowing, it was, for early December, pretty chilly outside) and trotted out to his parent's car, who suggested to him, when they called earlier that night, that he shouldn't walk home when it was as cold as it was outside. It wasn't a particularly long walk, and Ron almost refused the offer, but a begging Kim and Rufus made sure he saw the light.

Kim hadn't spoken to his parents that night, but from her view, standing in the door frame she could tell that they looked like picking up Ron was not a problem at all. Though the windshield was blocking them from her complete sight, she saw Mrs. Stoppable grinning and talking to her husband, who was sitting in the driver's seat, perhaps telling him a joke. Mr. Stoppable himself wore a good-natured smile on his face, and greeted Ron as he pulled the door open and stepped into the vehicle. Kim saw Rufus scramble out of Ron's pants pocket and into his coat pocket, which provided better insulation. It was times like this that made Kim wonder if Rufus ever regretted not being a member of a species with fur.

Mr. Stoppable spoke to his son a little, and Ron replied, still wearing a goofy grin on his face. He then looked straight at Kim through the windshield and waved, prompting his two parents to do the same. Kim blushed slightly, embarrassed to have their total attention so suddenly, and waved back. Mr. Stoppable then backed the car out of the driveway, and like that, they were gone. Kim stood in the door frame until the vehicle completely disappeared into the dark distance, feeling very satisfied of the time that she and Ron had spent together that day.

Closing the door, she hugged her chest, feeling chilly (_Holding the door open for two straight minutes in December was so not smart_, she thought to herself), but before she could walk forward, her brothers ran past her and re-opened the door, causing another slight breeze to blow into the already less-than-warm house.

Stumbling a little, she grabbed the coat rack to steady her balance, an annoyed expression on her face. "Dweebs, watch where you're going."

"Sorry, no time," came a reply, sounding like Jim, not even bothering to look back at her, and then shut the door again, albeit more harshly then it was shut before.

Not even wanting to get involved, Kim distanced herself from the door. _No time? Why's that_, she thought to herself, though, she admitted, if it involved more rockets and/or rocket fuel, she really didn't have any desire to know. _So not my problem; so not concerned._ She sincerely hoped it would stay that way, too.

Walking into the kitchen, she saw her mother on the phone, who, in turn saw her and smiled. Cupping the transmitter part of the phone to block out their voices to the caller, she whispered, "It's your father, honey. He's sorry he missed dinner and says he might not get back until quite late tonight. Nine, maybe."

Nodding, Kim replied, "Give him my love, mom."

"Will do," her mother gently said and removed her hand to speak with her husband once more.

Grabbing a medium-sized apple off the counter, Kim walked up to her room, thinking about the wonderful Friday she had. She and Ron went to Bueno Nacho after school, met up with Felix and Monique, and the four of them shared a late post-lunch together. Kim thought it was interesting, as Felix and Monique never had much contact with each other, how they interacted.

Unfortunately for Kim, a large majority of the conversation they had was on the topic of wrestling, which enthralled both Ron and Monique (_I will never totally understand that girl_, the teen red-head thought to herself), and mildly intrigued Felix, who watched 'occasionally.' Kim drowned most of the conversation out and thought about new selections of clothing at Club Banana, but the 50 minutes went quicker than one would expect and for the most part, despite the dull conversation, she found everything peaceful enough. Always good-natured, Felix ended up paying for everyone's meal despite their protests, and claimed it was an early Christmas gift, or, in Ron's case, early Hanukkah gift. Apparently he later admitted to Ron he really had no idea what else to spend the money on, and that it was a 'spur-of-the-moment' thing, but that didn't make the act any less kind.

Overall, Monique seemed rather impressed with Felix and expressed enthusiasm in the idea of the four of them hanging out again, and slyly hinting that maybe just her and Felix could hang out, though Kim was sure she was the only one there who caught it. It was a great lunch, and both Felix and Monique departed happily, leaving just Ron and Kim (plus Rufus, who, out of everyone who ate, probably enjoyed his meal the most – that being whatever foods others didn't finish, which was a more than modest amount).

They just chatted for a little while, be it about their small amount of homework that weekend or Drakken's latest take-over-the-world attempt, and before long, they were at Kim's house, relaxing in her room. _I can't even remember half of what we talked about_, Kim admitted to herself, _but I know we had fun._ As annoyed as Kim could sometimes get with Ron, there was a reason why he had been her best friend for so long: he was always fun to be around. If people at school knew this, he'd undoubtedly be more popular, but Kim liked it the way it was, and he was just her's and could hang out virtually any time she wanted to, as long as it didn't conflict with Felix's gaming time.

She continued eating her apple as she jumped onto her mattress. Today was great, and she knew tomorrow would also be great. It was a blissful, almost unexplainable, joy she felt. It was as though everything was right in the world. Kim glanced at the phone on her nightstand while she considered what life would have been like if she had never met Ron. Though, of course, she could never truly know, the outcomes she did come up with did not at all please her. All that mattered was that she _did _meet him, and if everything went well, they'd be friends for many, many years to come. With this comforting thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep, the half-eaten apple falling out of her right hand, miraculously landing in a waste bucket next to her bed.

Outside, unnoticed and unbeknownst by Kim, it had just started snowing.

* * *

"Ann, honey, I really don't think you're thinking this through," came a voice, which shattered Kim's slumber. _What? Did I fall asleep? So not_, Kim thought incredulously, but the evidence was deeply compelling; she had, indeed, fallen asleep. The clock now read 10:35 pm, and snow was falling heavily outside, which looked amazingly beautiful against the majestic, black sky.

She stretched out her arms and yawned, hearing the voice again. "I can't do that. Let her sleep and we can tell her tomorrow. Save her the stress." The words were ominous enough to warrant investigation, but it was her father's tone of voice that concerned her the most: he sounded very stressed and worried, which was not common for James Timothy Possible. The fact that his voice could be heard in Kim's room, and her mother's couldn't, surprised her slightly also, leading Kim to believe her mother was on the other end of a phone call. _He'll wake up the Dweebs if he doesn't quiet down, and I doubt he'd want that._

"Well, of course I'm concerned, Ann. I know they are," her father replied to whatever her mother had said harshly. That cinched it; Kim's parents rarely, if ever, bickered, and so Kim jumped out of bed to go see what was going on. _Where is mom, the hospital? She doesn't usually work shifts Friday nights, at least not recently._

She crept downstairs quickly and quietly, again hearing her father speak. "I guess, but-" He was apparently cut off by her mother, as he ceased talking. Standing just outside the door, Kim wondered if she should barge in or wait until they were done speaking (with parents in the middle of a discussion, sometimes it was a hard decision). She chose the former when she heard her father say, "Speaking of that, what's his condition, honey?"

Grabbing and turning the doorknob, Kim pushed open the door, surprising her father. He was wearing his light blue pajama top and bottom, and his hair was slightly askew. It looked as though this call woke him up just minutes before. "Dad, what's going on?"

Before he answered her question, she heard her mother's voice, through the phone, telling her father to give the receiver to her.

Wiping a small amount of sweat off of his forehead with a handkerchief in his left hand, her father replied, "Are you sure, honey? Perhaps we could-"

"Give the phone to Kim now, James! Please," her mother shouted into his ear.

Cringing, he quickly handed the phone over to her, and positioned himself behind Kim, putting his now-free right hand on her shoulder. Feeling anxious, she put the phone to her ear.

"What's the sitch, mom," she asked calmly, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, which were fluttering freely.

"Honey," her mother said, and Kim could tell instantly that her voice sounded very strained and worried, "something terrible's happened."

"What," Kim asked again, her throat constricting and feeling the continuation of the contents of her stomach jumping wildly.

"Ron and his family were in a bad car crash on the way to their home," replied her mother, who sounded as though she was sniffing away tears on the other end of the line. "We're not sure yet, but," she hesitated, then carried on, "he might not make it."

Kim, upon hearing this, dropped the receiver and it hit the floor with a light _cling_. Her heart rate increased rapidly and her formerly blissful disposition, her happiness that built up by spending all day with Ron, shattered completely.

She heard, over and over again, not her father consoling her (not that James Possible truly believed his daughter was listening anyways), but the last five words her mother had said, for the next two minutes.

"_He might not make it. He might not make it. He might not make it. He might not- " _


	2. A Father's Kiss

**Author's Note:**

**As to address when this story is taking place, for simplicity, let's say the beginning of Season Three.  
**

**Again, this chapter is a bit short, but the more I think about it, the more I believe this may be the average Chapter length for this particular story. I usually go for length to pack a lot in, but I don't find it necessary for this story, so I hope people approve of the choice.**

**Onto the Chapter Names, I have this to say: I came up with the idea of creating chapter names just last night, and though they may be corny, I stand by them.**

**As always, reviews would be welcomed, but even if you just read it, thank you.**

**Hope everyone enjoys the second chapter.**

* * *

"Kimmie-cub, please, calm down," said James Possible in a strained voice, as he was facing the most stressful day of his life (and that includes any rocket launch, in which millions were invested and dependent on success).

His daughter was moving in a blur, looking for her shoes, which apparently she misplaced earlier that day. After he shared a few more words with her mother, it was decided that Kim would go to the hospital that night, not that much discussion was truly involved, as Kim virtually demanded she go, and when Kim got this angry and anxious, little could be done to dissuade her.

Ignoring her father, she ran past him up to her room to search for the aforementioned missing shoes, in a frenzy to find them and get to Ron before anything happened. She didn't speak to her mother again after she dropped the phone, but Ann Possible understood her daughter's pain, and wasn't worried about her manners at the time of a tragedy like this.

Kim wasn't quite thinking while she was on her knees, checking under her bed for the shoes. No cognitive thought was really traveling through her mind. All she knew is that, as illogical as the thought was, if she didn't get to the hospital within the next 20 minutes, she might never see Ron again. _That is so not happening. I'll get to him and he'll be alright. I know he will._

Finding them underneath a chair, she placed them on her feet, tried standing up, and tripped, as they were on the wrong feet. Grunting in frustration, she ripped them off and put them right. Bolting down the stairs, she suddenly stopped, and, for the first time since she heard her mother on the phone, thought about the twins. _Should I wake them up? I don't want them to come but I don't think its safe leaving them here_.

Not in the mood for a moral conundrum in her current state of mind, she yelled down the stairs directing the question to her father. "Dad, what about the Dweebs?"

"They're not here, Kimmie. Before any of this happened, your mother let them stay over at a friend's house. Don't worry about it," came the reply, and Kim thought she could tell her father was also busy getting prepared. Quickly reaching the ground floor, Kim ran to the door, impatiently waiting for her father.

Seconds later, he was striding towards her, wearing a heavy blue winter coat and a pair of sweat pants over his pajama bottoms. He grabbed a snow cap off the coat rack, looked at Kim, and asked, "Do you want a jacket, at least, Kimmie? Your mother said the roads were pretty bad, so I can only assume that snow's accumulating rapidly."

"No," she said, feeling tears come to her eyes for the first time that night, "I want Ron." _Now's not the time for tears. Calm down, he'll be fine,_ she thought to herself, trying to keep a somewhat rational mind.

Looking concerned that his usually strong and resilient daughter was tearing up, Mr. Possible firmly said, "Kim, we hardly know a thing yet. Maybe your mother was just exaggerating a bit." He didn't sound too sure of himself, but the words still made Kim take a few sharp gasps of breath while she attempted to compose herself. Grabbing her shoulder, he opened the door to the wintry abyss that was their front yard.

"The car will be cold, because I was foolish enough to leave it outside instead of in the garage," her father admitted, leading her to the slightly snow-covered vehicle. The flakes of snow were giant and falling at a quick pace. _It perfect conditions for a car crash-_ Kim thought, then stopped herself, trying not to imagine what Ron, or Rufus, for that matter, went through. _Please be okay_, she thought, while already trying to prepare for the worst.

Opening the passenger door, Kim climbed into the car, rather cold, but knew even without the snow, she'd probably not feel much different. Her father got into the vehicle also, shutting the door and inserting the key, turning the car on. First dialing up the heat, he carefully backed out of the driveway after glancing at his side-mirror. "With this weather, it'll take longer to get there. I'd guess maybe 30 to 35 minutes, Kimmie. Just try to stay calm."

Fidgeting with nervousness, she laid back her head, and closed her eyes, trying not to feel scared about what she might discover when they got to the hospital.

* * *

She was slowly walking into the hospital, her father silent by her side. Instantly seeing her mother sitting down in the waiting room and crying, Kim ran up to her. Feeling a trickle of tears flowing from her eyes, she asked "How's Ron, mom?"

Shaking her head, she whispered something that Kim didn't catch. Dreading the truth but needing to know, she asked again.

This time, her mother spoke up, her voice cracking while doing so. "He's gone, Kim."

"No!" Kim shouted, unwilling to believe that her best friend was gone. "Where is he?"

Her mother pointed ominously to a room 40 feet down the hallway. Sprinting to the room her mother motioned to, she looked through the open door and saw Ron's bloody, beaten body lying on a hospital bed. Breaking down, she landing on her knees, her head in her hands, crying. "Come back, Ron. Come-

* * *

Back," she shouted, jolting upwards and finding herself still in the car. Her father swerved swiftly to the right and almost lost control (the traction was far from good), but straightened the vehicle out before anything happened.

Taking a quick glance over at her, he said "Kimmie, it's fine, you were sleeping."

Losing control of herself, Kim didn't hear her father and began sobbing. "Ron's dead and I couldn't do anything and-"

"Kim," he father cut her off, sounding very much as if he'd like to stop the car and pay her his full attention, "it was a _dream_. We're almost there. Please, try and calm down."

Still freely crying, Kim looked out the windshield and saw the mess that her father was driving through. Kim was far from a terrible driver, but she couldn't imagine risking her life by going out in this treacherous weather. Wiping the eyes with her shirt sleeve, she sniffed to clear her nose, and attempted to compose herself, though in her heart she knew it wouldn't matter once she got to the hospital, especially if Ron did die.

_STOP IT_ she shouted to herself. _He won't be dead. He can't be_. The image, however, of his broken body kept appearing in Kim's head, and no matter what she wanted to believe about her friend's fate, it wouldn't leave. Trying to distract herself from the haunting thought, she looked out her window for anything to maintain her interest. Spotting an old doghouse buried under the still heavily falling snow, she heard a beeping sound.

Whipping her head around, she glanced at her father, who took his eyes off the road for a second to look at her and say, "I think that's you, Kimmie."

Confused, Kim felt her pockets and found her Kimmunicator was still on her person. _Oh, yeah, I fell asleep without changing_, she remembered, and reached for it, wiping her moist eyes one last time before turning her attention to Wade.

"What's up-" she began, but was cut off.

"Kim, I know what happened. Are you at the hospital," Wade asked, looking very worried himself.

Trying to keep her composure but not trusting herself to speak without starting to cry, she just shook her head.

Looking over her shoulder from his small radius of viewpoint, he nodded. "Going there now, I see," he stated, or questioned. Kim wasn't quite sure.

"Yes," she muttered, wanting desperately to be there already.

"I've been keeping track of his condition and-" Now it was Kim's turn to cut him off, only this time with a shriek.

"And why haven't you told me anything!"

The car swerved again, and her father looked over, worried, saying "Please, Kimmie, I'm driving through four inches of snow, it's hard enough without someone shouting right next to me."

Ignoring her father's comment, she harshly asked again, "Why?"

Looking fearful, Wade replied, "I- because the doctors don't know much right now, or at least they aren't updating the computers."

"Have you seen him," she asked pleadingly.

A shrew look of avoidance on his face, he replied in a snort. "Of course not, Kim. If I had, I'd tell you-"

"Wade," Kim spoke, a voice of acid, "just answer the question truthfully. Have you seen him?"

Rubbing his head, he replied, "Yes, Kim, I have. I hacked the hospital cameras as soon as I knew something had happened. I saw him and his parents being brought in."

"Well," she asked, annoyed he wasn't giving her what she wanting to know, "what's he look like?"

"It didn't look terrible, Kim," he said, relieving her ever so slightly, "but then again, for all we know, he could have internal bleeding, which is never good. It looked like his parents got it worse."

Kim hadn't actually thought of his parents, but now that they were mentioned, her mind switched over to them. "Any idea on their conditions, Wade?"

"Not a thing," he said bitterly. "They haven't put anything on the computers besides their names, which your mom supplied, and that all three are listed under 'Critical Condition,' which isn't saying much."

"Well," Kim said, her voice void of emotion, "keep trying, okay?" She felt drained, and though Wade was always good to talk with, she wasn't quite in the mood.

"Will do, Kim," he replied, looking at her carefully and deliberately, and then added, "don't worry, Kim. I'm sure everything will work out and he'll be fine. Maybe his parents might need to take some time to heal, but I can't imagine this will be too life-altering."

Knowing he was saying this just to comfort her and that he had no way of guaranteeing such a statement, Kim weakly smiled back. "Thank you, Wade. I needed that. Keep me updated if anything changes, okay?"

"Of course, Kim. I wouldn't keep you out of the loop on this one," Wade said, and then disconnected. Feeling slightly better, she placed the device back into her pocket and looked out the windshield, seeing a gas station sign as her father pulled in.

"I need some gas. I forgot to fill this blasted car up before I went to the Space Center," he grumbled, sounding irritated.

Feeling like she needed to say something for his gratitude, she spoke up as her father pulled in next to a gas pump. "Dad, thanks so much for taking me. I know driving in this can't be fun, but you're doing it anyways."

A small grin formed on his face as he let go of the steering wheel. A sad smile, but a smile just the same. "Kim," he replied, looking over at her and his voice softening, "I consider Ron family. I don't know his father terribly well, but, in a way, I think of him as much as a brother as Slim is. More so, Kimmie, if," he paused for a few seconds, looking for the correct and proper way to word his statement, "something terrible happens as a result of this car crash, I know we'll persevere. We're Possible's, and you know what I say about being a Possible."

"Yeah," Kim said, grinning by the smallest margin. "Anything's possible for a Possible."

"You got it," he said, then grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close to him, embracing her in an awkward hug because of their positions in the car, but Kim didn't mind, and thought that this warmth was what she needed. "We will get through this. All of us. Ron, his family, and our family," he spoke calmly, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

He released her and got out of the car to fill up the tank. Kim re-situated herself in her seat, and laid her head back again, feeling herself dozing off for the third time that night.

* * *

She had, to her knowledge, a peaceful and dreamless rest, waking up to see the looming structure of the hospital in view through the windshield, where the windshield wipers were clearing off the snow rapidly, which looked like a losing battle to Kim.

An ambulance rushed past their vehicle, it's sirens roaring in the relatively quiet night, making Kim feel queasy for two reasons: For one, she imagined Ron and his parents being brought to the hospital in the same way, and two, as the ambulance was going so quickly despite the snow, she knew whoever was inside must have been terribly hurt.

Though it was unnecessary to say, her father spoke up, noticing she was awake, saying "We're right there, Kimmie. In three minutes we can all be with Ron and his family."

Feeling scared again, Kim gripped her shoulders with her hands, crossing her arms. All she could think from that point on to when her father parked was _Ron, please be okay_.

Slowly pulling into a crowded parking garage, eventually Mr. Possible found an empty space and gently parked. Both stepping out of the vehicle, Kim felt a heavy gust of wind hit her, causing her to lose her balance, and she fell against the car.

"Kim, I know we're in a hospital, but this is no time for risky behavior," he father lightly said, grinning and hoping a little pinch of humor might take her mind off of her friend.

Wearing a weak smile, she replied "Sure, dad, I'll keep that in mind." Her father helped her steady herself, and then held her hand as they walked into a nearby set of doors into the hospital. He was surprised that Kim allowed him to hold her hand, as usually she'd dismiss such an act as being childish, but then again, he considered, Kim probably needed him at that moment, and if Ron and his family were hurt anywhere as badly as his wife thought they might have been when she called, he hoped she would never let him go.

Kim wasn't thinking about how her father was holding her hand. She wasn't thinking about how cold she was (not wearing a coat during a blizzard isn't the most intelligent idea), or even how large amounts of people rushed passed them, sometimes pushing them a little, one person even shoving Kim out of the way, running down the bright, lightened hallway with a very worried expression on his face. Most of the time, Kim would find such behavior beyond rude (even if she was partly used to it), but then again, she wasn't thinking about these things.

Her mind was on Ron, and hoping that however bad the crash was, he'd be okay. _He has to be okay_.


	3. A Doctor's Words

**Author's Note:**

**I actually don't think I have much to say aside from thank you to those who've read and reviewed. Reviews make me smile, so nobody be shy.**

**I'm going to try to have two more chapters up, plus one more of my other story ('Hate' - check it out if you're interested) before the 15th of this month, so do look out for that.**

**If anyone finds any errors of any kind, please tell me via review or PM, if you're not comfortable pointing out errors in a review.**

**I know the chapter name isn't too exciting, but I'm terrible with chapter and story names, so I don't feel too ashamed.**

******Lastly, the infamous statement I forget half the time: These characters do not belong to be, but to Disney.**

******I hope this chapter gets your approval.**

* * *

Kim's mother was standing near the main receptionist's desk sipping what appeared to be hot chocolate. Ann Possible, by all accounts, was a strong woman, but right now, she appeared rather shook up. By the look of her eyes, she had been crying earlier, though now she was standing calmly and placidly, her hands shaking only a little.

When Kim saw her, she let go of her father's hand and ran towards her. Seeing her coming, her mother quickly put down her cup on the desk (receiving an unnoticed cold glare from one of receptionists sitting there when some of the drink rebounded and landed on a form she was filling out) and stretched out her arms in expectance. Kim hugged her with force, putting her head on her shoulder, and Ann could already hear that her daughter had starting crying.

Her husband walked up, removing his cap and unzipping his coat, and glanced at his wife with a sad look in his eyes. Ann knew that Kim would take this badly, and while James concurred, she suspected he underestimated just how badly. From the weary expression on his face, Ann knew that she was right in that guess.

Stroking Kim's hair in slow, long motions, Kim's mother tried to calm her down. Kim wasn't really sobbing or making a scene of any kind (not that Ann would care if she was or that such reactions would be deemed improper in a hospital), but tears were falling freely and quickly from her daughter's eyes. Finding her voice amongst the sadness of the scene, she said, "I know, Kimmie. I know. It'll be fine." She felt a little bad saying it, as, from the little she knew, it didn't quite sound like everything was going to be hunky-dory by the end of the night, but she knew it was the right thing to do in this moment. Her daughter needed reassurance.

"How's he doing," Kim mumbled through her tears, still holding her mother tightly and her voice sounding husky.

"No one's really talked to me, honey, so I don't know," she replied soothingly.

"You work here, Ann. What's wrong with these people," asked James Possible, outrage apparent in his tone.

"James, we'll know when we know," she said back, trying to communicate to him that now was not the best time to bicker about petty things such as the medical system.

Ironically, at that moment, a taller African-American doctor, his hair in the style of an afro (although much more tame than what Kim has seen on television) walked out of a nearby hallway towards them. He looked as though he was under a lot of strain, and his white lab-coat had hints of blood on it. Apparently, he either didn't notice or disregarded it as it wasn't brought up. To Ann, he said, in a good-natured voice, "Dr. Possible, I assume you want any available news on the three patients?" Looking directly at her, he, by-and-large, ignored the presence of both her husband and her teenage daughter, who was obviously grief-stricken.

"Yes, Leroy, if that's possible, it'd be great," Kim mother replied in a cordial voice, trying to stay strong for her daughter.

He nodded and gave a forced smile, perhaps trying to comfort them. "It's amazing, Ann. Being doctors for so long and we start feeling immune to this type of stuff." The doctor sighed and shook his head. "So," he continued, "you're a family friend?"

"Yes, my daughter," (Kim let go of her mother and looked at the doctor, seeing him for the first time that night, though he appeared blurry as her eyes were so moist) "and Ron, the younger patient, are very close friends."

"Since Pre-K," Kim croaked, wiping her eyes on her long sleeves.

Her mother looked at her sadly, and then nodded to her husband. "Leroy, this is my husband, James, and obviously this is my daughter. Honey, this is Dr. Higgs. He's a great doctor, so don't worry."

Higgs nodded solemnly. "Under the trying circumstances, I wouldn't be as fool-hardy enough to say nice to meet you, but I hope y'all got here without too much trouble. The snow's packing on quickly tonight. I hear we're in for a doozy."

"Kimmie and I had a few close calls, but nothing too life-threatening," Mr. Possible said, his hand now on Kim's shoulder again. "Is there any news, Dr. Higgs?"

"Please, call me Leroy," he replied kindly. Hesitating a few seconds before addressing the actual question, he began "Some on the two male patients. The mother is still undergoing some preliminary examinations."

"Well, what are your findings so far, Leroy? Please, don't hold anything back," Ann said, noting that her daughter was looking very worried (which was completely reasonable).

"Well," he tugged at his collar, looking nervous, "the father, Martin, I believe, was impaled by a large tree branch that penetrated his left lung and broke a few ribs. It was extracted quickly when he was brought here, but the blood he lost prior to his arrival may turn out to be, uh, fatal. Even without that, we're not sure his spine came out of the accident unwounded, so if he survives the night and wakes up, we'll be able to know the full story."

James's face whitened considerably, and Kim felt sick to her stomach thinking about Ron's father, impaled, screaming for help. Her worry for Ron, naturally, grew to new heights.

"How about Ron," she said in a very low voice, so low that Dr. Higgs almost didn't hear her.

"Oh, at first, it didn't look too good," he replied, looking somewhat relieved to be delivering some positive news, "because he was covered in blood." At this, Kim lurched forward, looking very pale. "No, no," Higgs rushed on, realizing only then how his words could have been misinterpreted, "it looked much worse than it was. Head wounds tend to bleed more than one would expect. Anyhow, his head apparently smacked onto the back of the seat in front of him and he received a concussion. In general, we wouldn't perform a CT scan, as it doesn't appear serious, but to be safe, in this case, we will. One is scheduled for later tonight. I suspect also a skull fracture and probably whiplash, though we won't know until later."

"Is he responding to treatment, Leroy," he mother asked, growing concern in her voice. "He's not in a coma or anything, is he?"

Dr. Higgs shrugged his shoulders. "Technically he could be, but I don't believe so. I think, by the end of tomorrow at the latest, he'll be conscious."

"And you know nothing about his mother," Ann begged desperately, almost losing all her previous composure.

He shook his head. "Nothing, aside from a head injury. We can only speculate on her condition at this point, which I'd rather not do, should I be mistaken. I should probably check on her now, to be honest. Ann," he said, looking directly at Kim's mother, "could I speak to you in private?"

"I said I want nothing held back from us, Leroy, and I'm not sure, in my mood, you would want to dispute this," Ann replied in a disapproving tone.

"It's not that, Doctor, please," he said gently, stepping away from them, still eyeing Kim's mother.

Sighing, she nodded, and stepped away from Kim and her husband. "I'll be back shortly, honey." She walked away with Dr. Higgs, and stepped through the doors to the hallway the doctor had come from.

Kim felt miserable, and her stomach was jumpy. Glancing to her side, she saw an empty chair, and moved her father's hand off her shoulder and sat down, looking to the floor.

"Kimmie-cub, is there anything wrong," Mr. Possible asked, sitting down in the chair next to her, watching her with concern.

"You mean besides Ron and his family being in the hospital," she replied bitterly, not looking up.

"We can't be mad, Kim. We just have to accept it and hope they all make it out okay," he said, sighing. "I know it doesn't sound good right now, but at least Ron seems to be in good standing."

She moved up her hands to her face, not crying, but feeling devastated. "What do we do now?"

"Well, as soon as your mother is done talking to Dr. Higgs, I think we should get something to eat. I know you had dinner, but I think after all we've been through tonight, food would do us good. The hospital cafeteria might still be open, but we could always have leftovers of dinner. In short, I don't think we can do much more here tonight," Mr. Possible replied, rubbing his head, as he was feeling a headache coming on.

"I-I can't see Ron tonight," Kim asked, looking up, her voice breaking.

"I don't know, honey," he admitted, his hand dropped from his forehead, not wanting to see her break down again. "Maybe it'd be better to hold off until he gets through the CT scan. He probably needs to be cleaned up anyways, and-"

"I want to see him, no matter what he looks like," Kim replied firmly, adding "Rufus might be there and I should take care of him." Though she used Ron's naked mole rat as an excuse to see him, Kim thought it was a fair point. Dr. Higgs never mentioned finding a mole rat, so he might just be in Ron's pocket or something.

"Oh," exclaimed Mr. Possible, looking surprised at her statement, "I forgot about that little scamp. We'll talk to your mother to see what she says, okay Kimmie?"

Kim nodded, and moved her head back into her hands, feeling tired though she'd already been asleep so much in the last few hours. They sat there in silence for 20 minutes until her mother came up to them sounding wearier than before.

"You okay, honey," said her husband, concern in his voice. Kim kept her head down, and gave no signs that she was awake, but kept listening in case her mother shared information with her father that they wouldn't have wanted her to know. Thinking briefly that she shouldn't go through with eavesdropping on them, the conversation continued, and Kim feigned sleep.

Sighing, her mother replied, "Yes, James, I'm fine, at least as well as expected. How's Kim doing?"

"As well as expected," he blandly replied, adding "she wants to go see Ronald before we leave for home. First off, is that possible, and secondly, do you recommend it?"

"I think I could arrange it. Leroy wanted me present at the CT scan, since I'm a neurosurgeon. He offered to let me do any necessary surgery in my expertise, thinking I'd be the most motivated not to miss anything."

"Did you accept," he asked curiously.

"Of course, I should help them as much as I possibly can. They still don't know that much about Elaine, but right now my biggest concern is her husband. If he did lose as much blood as I think he might have, it's not very likely he'll survive. That said, I'm in no real position to help him." Kim thought she sat down next to her father, because when he replied, his voice was directed to his side.

"Ann, be straight with me: How good is Dr. Higgs? Is his success rate high," he asked critically.

"He young, James, but he's a good doctor. Raul Morales and Kulbhushan Bhullar would be my first choices, but they're both at some conference down in Dallas, or maybe Bhullar's in Tampa. I forget what Leroy said. Still, Dr. Higgs is a very good man, James. He had a hard enough time paying his way through medical school; he doesn't need anyone to question him. I trust him," her mother finished, firm in her reply.

"Okay, Ann, I trust your judgment. It's just that-" he paused for a few seconds, sighing. "Poor Ronald. I told Kimmie we'd get through this, but I'm starting to wonder," Mr. Possible replied, sounding very stressed.

"James, we cannot give up hope. We have to be strong for Kim, and Ron, when he wakes up. I only got a small glimpse of him, but he seemed pretty beat up," she replied, not sounding like that really surprised her.

"Does anyone know how the accident happened," asked James. "Was it collision with another vehicle or did they just lose traction on the road?"

"I haven't really spoken to the police. The doctors say it's likely they just hit a patch of black ice or something, then crashed through a rail on the road and stopped on the outskirts of a thin forest of trees. As bad as this may sound, James, it could have been much worse. We should be thankful the car didn't explode," Ann said, not sounding very convinced in her voice.

"It's something, but not enough for Kim," replied her father, sighing again. "So, do you think Kim should see Ron tonight, or should it wait?"

"I think it should be her choice. I believe she's strong enough. He's still bloody, though, so maybe we should suggest she don't," Ann replied.

"Why haven't then cleaned him up," James said, with an edge of unbelief and anger in his voice.

"Because the blood's not the biggest concern, James. They plan on doing it later tonight, but right now they don't want to exert any more pressure on his head then what they have to."

"Are the doctors sure nothing else is wrong with him," Kim's father asked, sounding still like he disagreed with the choice not to freshen him up.

"There's no internal bleeding, thank God, if that's what you're thinking. The most worrisome thing is the head injury. Mental impairment's not out of the question by a long shot, so we should talk to Kim before she goes to talk to him." Though Ann wasn't Ron's mother, Kim thought she sounded like it, with as care-filled as her voice was. The idea of mental impairment didn't appeal to the young Possible, but she made a promise to herself that if he did have something 'wrong' with him, she'd be there to help him through it all.

"Well, I guess we should wake Kim. If she still wants to see him, Ann, could you try and dissuade her," he asked, standing up. "I need to use the restroom before we go. I'll wait here at the door."

"What," his wife replied, surprise in her voice, "you don't want to see them?"

"I don't think I can take the blood, Ann. You know how I can be. One drop and I feel queasy. I just don't think it'd be a good idea," he admitted, actually, sounding to Kim, as though he were cringing when he said it.

"Well, okay," Ann said, giving in. "We shouldn't be more than ten minutes. If you wanted to, you could go ahead in your car and I could take Kimmie home in mine. I can't keep it here all night," she suggested.

"Okay," came his voice, approvingly, "sure, I can do that. See you at home, Ann. Try and keep Kimmie stable, okay? Love you."

"I love you too, James," she replied sweetly. "Be safe, honey." Kim heard them kiss, and then the footsteps of her father walking away.

A few seconds later, she felt her mother nudging her shoulder gently. "Kimmie, wake up, please."

Feigning a yawn, she straightened her slumped body, stretching out her arms, feeling sore for sitting down for as long as she did, and looked up to her mother. "Where's dad," she asked, of course already knowing.

"He decided to go ahead home, and we can meet up with him when we go back," she replied, and Kim could see how tired her mother actually looked. Small bags were under her eyes and he shoulders were slumping, but she still stood professionally despite this. "You father said you wanted to see Ron, right?"

Not wanting to hear her mother try and persuade her not to, she replied in a strong voice, leaving no room for doubt. "Yes, I really want to. Can I, mom?"

"You can, but," she stopped for a few seconds, rubbing her head during this time, "he's still a mess. Can you deal with that?"

"Mom, I need to see him," Kim said firmly, knowing it was true.

She gave her daughter a weak smile, grabbing Kim's right hand with her left. "Then let's go, Kimmie." Her mother started walked, and as flimsy as Kim's stomach felt, she followed, dreading already what Ron might look like.

Her mother pushed open a door, and Kim followed, wondering just how badly this accident will affect Ron's, and by extent, Kim's life.


	4. To Reminisce

**Author's Note:**

**I was highly optimistic on my author's note section of my last chapter for this story, as this will be the last chapter before a little break. As I said on the most recent chapter of my other story, Hate, I will have an update in my profile, so I don't waste any more space here, so please read (it'll be up either later today or tomorrow) to stay updated.**

**Thanks to all who have read and reviewed this story. Also, thanks to those who have pointed out possible errors in my story and made suggestions to make my story up to the standards I want it to reach. If I had money or gift baskets, I'd send you all some. If more errors appear in this chapter, let me know and it shall be repaired.**

**Kim Possible is not of my creation, nor is any other character aside from the chap Dr. Higgs (who doesn't even appear, but I might as well make that clear).**

**Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Reviews are always fun to read. *wink, wink***

* * *

Kim was lying on her bed, snuggling with her Pandaroo Cuddle Bubby, not crying, but sort of shivering, as if she were extremely cold. She hadn't been able to eat much leftovers that night, a few bites of meat loaf at most, but no more. Excusing herself from the table just minutes after sitting down, she intended to try and get to sleep quickly. Having no idea what the time was (she didn't look at her clock before jumping into bed), she wanted to make sure she was awake at a normal time the next morning so she could get to Ron early (her parents had already promised to take her when they were all ready).

Sleep, however, was not coming quickly for Kim. Though her mother had warned her against seeing Ron, she of course had, and the image still bothered her. _He was so beat up. So… lifeless. _Making her night even worse, there was no Rufus, which concerned her, of course (but the fact that Ron and his family were still in critical condition seemed high priority on her worry list than Rufus's whereabouts), though she definitely intended to make time to look within the next few days.

_How long have I just been laying here? An hour? Two, _Kim questioned herself. She had no idea, but she did know she was quite restless. _Why can't I just forget and go to sleep? _Oh, her body was tired, and was screaming at her to sleep, but her mind couldn't just turn off on command. With nothing distracting her, she thought back to her visit to Ron earlier in the hospital.

* * *

Walking past large amounts of doctors and patients, Kim ignored them all and blocked them out, her thoughts on Ron. _He can't be that bad. Wade said he didn't look terrible, unless Wade knew that head wounds bled a lot, and was referring to the fact no bones were poking out or- STOP_, she thought harshly to herself. _It's bad enough without imaging how much worse it could be, so thinking about it won't help any._

Her mother's hand was still firmly on her shoulder, leading her, which was good, because, as well as Kim knew the hospital, she really wasn't paying attention to where she was going. After multiple turns (Kim lost count after three), her mother slowed her pace and stopped in front of a room in which the windows were curtained. A few doctors where routinely walking in and out of the room, often holding clipboards and scribbling things down, generally ignoring the girl and her mother, which seemed to annoy Ann.

Sighing, she explained to her daughter, "Sometimes when things get hectic, the attending physicians can sometimes not notice their patient's families or loved ones because they're so busy." She stopped one of the doctors rushing out of the room, a younger doctor looking, to Kim, no older than 25, and asked "Excuse me, Doctor. I'm Dr. Possible, and this is my daughter. May we see Ron Stoppable?"

Looking confused, he glanced at his watch impatiently, and nodded. "Go ahead, but don't try and stir him," he replied in a hurried tone, and walked away.

"Well, that was rude," Kim's mother muttered, not looking in the mood for such behavior. To Kim, she asked, "Do you want to be alone, Kimmie?"

"Uh," she replied, unsure, her stomach acting up again, "I guess, yeah. For just a little."

"Okay, I'll be right out here. Take as long as you need," Ann said gently, rubbing her shoulder a little before removing her hand.

Slowly moving toward the door, Kim felt her stomach tighten. Pausing for a second, she thought to herself _Come on, do it. He won't be any better if I just stall out here for ten seconds._ Walking forward, she reached the door frame and glanced in, her eyes averting the bed, but looking for any doctors who might be there. Seeing no one, Kim stepped through the door frame and walked up the Ron, her eyes again not looking at him but focused on the bright, florescent light above his bed. Moving her eyes down slowly, fearing what she might see after letting her imagination get the hold of her earlier, she audibly gasped.

Ron was asleep, as she knew he would be, but with as badly as his face was injured, she couldn't see how. _Maybe they gave him pain meds or something._ Kim was not a generally squeamish person, but seeing her best friend like this caused her to backtrack almost a foot and tear up. A giant gash was on his forehead, the deepest part above his left eyebrow. Dried blood was covering most of his face, and a small indent was noticeable near the cut. His nose looked broken, causing Kim to wonder why the doctor, Higgs, she remembered, didn't mention it. _I guess maybe it was such a little thing compared to everything else_, she thought, not understanding the logic that doctors used when determining what was a vital injury worth mentioning and what wasn't. A giant bruise was surrounding his right eye. It was a sickly purple, which disgusted Kim, and she could understand now why her father might not have wanted to see this.

Taking this morbid sight all in, she walked up to the side of the bed, knowing now what she'd see, so she wouldn't be repulsed by anything. Looking closely at the rest of his body, Kim saw he was breathing normally, if not a little ragged, but his neck down was covered in a blue blanket, so Kim couldn't see if Rufus was perhaps hiding himself in his pocket.

Grabbing the blanket covering where Ron's pocket would be, she tugged gently, surprising herself when she saw not his normal pair of baggy pants, but a hospital gown. _God, how stupid can I be_, she angrily thought to her. Letting the sheet go, she glanced around his room for his possessions. Seeing a small mound of clothes on a wooden chair to the left of his bed, she made her way over to go through it. Gingerly picking up his what she presumed was shirt, it took her by surprise how shredded it was. The jersey was completely non-repairable, Kim guessed, and dried blood covered most of what was left of it. Moving it to the side, she saw his pants, but a frown formed on her face when no shape of Rufus was noticed as being in either pocket.

_Where is he? Loose in the hospital or something? If he was and someone catches him, would they…_ The thought trailed off in her head before she could complete it, but she knew what she was going to think. _ I can't let that happen. If something happens to Rufus, Ron would be even more __devastated then he already would be with just his parents hurt_. Rushing out of the room, she ran up to her mother, quickly saying, "Mom, do you have any idea what happened to Rufus?"

At first, Ann was confused by the question, but then a look of understanding came onto her facial expressions. "No, Kimmie, and Leroy never mentioned it."

"What if he's, like, disoriented and loose in the hospital and somebody finds him and-" Kim began rambling before being gently cut off.

"Kimmie, calm down, I'll take care of it," her mother replied, and without explaining, walked up to a nearby desk, where, nurses mostly, were bogged down in file folders and health forms. Kim didn't hear what she was saying, but she trusted she'd do something (her mother was not one to say but not act) to help the situation out.

After about a minute, she walked back to her daughter. "I told them to inform the whole staff to be put on alert for a naked mole rat, and that if they see one, to detain him and call me immediately."

"Wow," Kim said, awed, "I didn't know you had that kind of pull here." Not that Kim thought her mother didn't play an unimportant role in the hospital, but she didn't think she really ran anything.

"I don't, honey. Not really, but I let them know if anything happened to Rufus, I'd be resigning," her mother replied, looking very serious in her threat. "Not to sound vain, honey, but they can't really afford to lose me."

"Thanks mom," she said, smiling a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like years.

Pulling her forward by her shoulders, Ann nuzzled her daughter's hair, willing to go any lengths to get Kim through this traumatic experience with as little pain and stress as possible. "Anything for you and Ron, Kimmie." Holding her for a second, she released her, asking in a slightly worried voice, "How's he look, honey?"

"You've seen him, right," Kim spoke back, knowing she'd been at his CT scan.

"Only for the briefest second," Ann admitted. "I wasn't given the opportunity to take a close look. He was already prepped for the machine and his head was already in the scanner when Leroy and I got to the room. All I saw was blood," she added regrettably.

"Well, mom, could you look at him? Maybe the other doctors missed something," she asked, wanting to make sure her best friend was in as good hands as possible.

"Of course," she replied, but adding, "thought don't expect anything. I told your father earlier that Leroy is a very good doctor, and I trust his judgment." Ann hesitated a second, then said "If I can do anything to help him later medically, I will. Dr. Higgs offered to let me help out because he knows how close-knit we are."

"Mom, do you think anything's wrong with his brain," she asked bluntly, only realizing seconds afterward how childishly she worded the question.

Her mother, however, didn't look as though she thought the question was foolish. "I don't know, Kimmie. Sometimes car crashes can cause moderate damage, sometimes extreme. We'll just have to think of him and maybe pray he comes out okay."

Kim expected such an answer, but that didn't make it any easier for her to willingly accept. "There really isn't anything more we can do, is there," she sadly asked.

Shaking her head gently, Ann replied, "No, Kimmie, I think we've done all we can for now. I think Ron would be happy that you came here, though. Don't think you're doing nothing, honey."

Hearing this, Kim's eyes became watery again. _Damn it, how many times a day can I cry,_ she thought, annoyed. Her mother saw this and pulled her into a hug. "Kimmie, I know it's hard. A friendship like yours and Ron's is so very rare, it happens once in a million years. I can't stress this enough though, Kim: Do not give up hope."

Kim knew this, and she wasn't giving up hope, but that didn't mean she wasn't utterly destroyed and gutted at the moment. Until Ron was up and about, smiling, with Rufus on his shoulder and his parents standing behind him, she doubted she'd feel anywhere close to fine.

"Honey," Ann said, whispering into her ear, "believe me: I will do _anything_ I can to make sure Ron comes out of this fine." Her mother punctuated her state with five seconds of silence. "Now, did you still want me to check on him before we leave," she kindly asked, letting her go and standing back, looking toward Ron's room.

Not able to find her voice, Kim simply nodded, but her mother accepted the gesture without reply and quickly moved to the doorway, going through. After three minutes, of which Kim just stood by the wall, ignoring others trying to make eye contact, perhaps wondering what she was doing in this area of the hospital, her mother came out.

"Besides the obviously broken nose, Kimmie, I think it's just as Dr. Higgs reported," she claimed, adding, "it could have been worse, keep that in mind. I know it doesn't necessarily make you feel any better, but he could have broken an arm or leg. It's a miracle he's as undamaged as he is."

"I don't consider a giant gash on someone's head undamaged, mom," Kim bitterly replied, "especially when Ron hates blood as much as he does. If he was conscious when he got the cut, it probably made him pass out."

"Oh, Kimmie," her mother said, rushed, "don't think about the crash like that. I know for a fact, if it's at all comforting, the force of the collision knocked him out before any of the other stuff happened. Just try not to think of it, Kim. That's all I can say."

Kim wished she could do as her mother suggested, but she was unable. Throughout the walk out of the hospital and the first half of car ride home, while Ann was trying to comfort her daughter with promises that she knew she couldn't keep, Kim thought about Ron, what the crash must have been like for him, and the whereabouts of Rufus.

Wade had told her to keep him updated, and she hadn't forgotten that, but she was quite far from being in a talkative mood. _He'd probably know by now anyways, _Kim reasoned, relying on his hacking abilities. _I'm sure he'd understand I don't feel like talking, so I shouldn't worry about it._

"Honey," her mother said, speaking for the first time in almost 15 minutes (usually the drive to and from the hospital to their house would be maybe 20 minutes, but one can never be too careful in the treacherous, wintry weather), "I just wanted to let you know I'll talk with the twins tomorrow to let them know about the seriousness of the situation. They won't bother you, so don't worry."

* * *

Kim, reflecting about all that happened, didn't recall exactly what her response was, but she knew that afterwards, she and her mother drove the rest of the way home in silence. Apparently, her mother was smart enough to not try to force small conversation, which Kim was grateful for. Opening her eyes, the light of the moon causing her to squint, she positioned herself to be able to look at the clock. Sighing upon seeing the lateness of the hour, she dropped her head back down onto the pillow, again wishing for sleep to come. Her mother offered her something to help her sleep earlier, possibly during the first ten minutes of the drive home, but Kim shrugged it off, not thinking she would need it. Kim now realized her folly.

"It's too late to ask now," she said lowly, whining to herself aloud. Though she was in no mood to talk to her parents (not that she could have at the moment anyhow, as they'd surely be asleep at this hour), she did feel like talking to someone about how she was feeling. She didn't have as many friends as one might think (_with Ron by my side, I have all the friends I need_), so her choices were limited. A small, albeit tired, smile formed on her lips when the perfect person came into mind, and it must have been the stress of the day that made her not realize it earlier, she thought, making sense of the lapse of thinking.

Grabbing her phone and hoping Monique wouldn't be too mad at her for waking her up, she dialed her number, waiting anxiously and listening to the dial tone. After 30 seconds, a groggy voice said, "Hello, do know what time it is?"

"Monique, it's me," Kim replied, happy to hear her voice, no matter how tired or annoyed she'd be.

"Kim," she said, sounding like she was now completely awake, and the tone of her voice changing drastically, "I heard about what happened."

"How," Kim asked, not thinking that Wade would have told her, though she guessed anything was possible.

"It was on the late news," she replied, "I was flipping through the channels when I saw it. I couldn't believe it. We were all together at Beuno Nacho less than ten hours ago. How you holding up, girl?"

"I'm," she started, about to say 'fine', when she realized she didn't call Monique to lie about how she was taking it, "terrible, Monique. I'm a wreck. I've cried, like, so much tonight." _Well, I admitted it, _Kim thought, feeling oddly relieved in doing so, _no turning back now._

"I don't blame you. I wanted to call you when I heard, but then I thought it'd be best to give you some time to take it in," her friend replied, a deep concern and pity in her voice.

"It finally hit me how serious it was when I saw him in the hospital," she said, feeling, for the umpteenth time that day, a small tear escape the corner of her eye. _I can so not lose it while talking with Monique._ Gulping once, giving her a little time to recompose her, she continued, "He's pretty beat up."

"How are the 'rents and Rufus," Monique asked, sounding genuinely interested and concerned.

"His dad's badly hurt, and he might not make it," Kim replied, trying not to imagine what would happen if he died (Ron's reaction, in particular), "but they don't know yet for his mom. I couldn't find Rufus on Ron or in his stuff, and my mom alerted the hospital to be on the lookout for him."

"Oh my God, girl, that's terrible. Want me to come by tomorrow? Maybe I can treat you to some shopping at Club Banana to get your mind off of everything," she suggested, sounding like it was a fair proposition, but Kim physically shook her head when she heard it, even thought she realized that Monique couldn't actually see her.

"Sorry, Monique, I can't. I'll be at the hospital most of tomorrow. Ron's unconscious now but the doctors say he'll probably be waking up tomorrow night at the latest, and I want to be there," Kim said forcefully. Not many things could get Kim Possible to avoid shopping at Club Banana, but this situation was most definitely one of them.

"Listen, I hope this doesn't sound insensitive, Kim," her friend said, sounding as though she was sure that's exactly how it would come across, "but you can't let this run your life. You can't dwell and obsess over it. You can't hang by his bed every second waiting for him to wake up. It's not healthy. Maybe spending the day with friends would be better than you hanging out at the hospital. If you want, I can even call up Felix. He'd probably say the same thing I am."

"Please, Monique, don't speak for Felix. You've known him less than a full day," Kim replied, now feeling annoyed and even wearier then she was before she called. "I need to be with Ron to help him through this. I can't just pretend it didn't happen and go out to have a good time. What kind of friend would do that?"

Deciding not to answer her question, or perhaps thinking it rhetorical, Monique didn't address that point in her reply. "I ain't gonna fight with you, girl. You know what you want, and I'm not going to fight a losing battle, especially when it's as late as it is," Monique admitted. "Listen, do you want me to stop by the hospital to see you? I probably will anyway, to, ya know, see Ron and maybe get him something from the gift shop."

Sighing, and not feeling like bickering either, Kim replied, "Yeah, Monique, that'd be great."

"Glad to hear it," her friend said, truly sounding it. "I wouldn't worry too much, girl. I'm sure Ron will get through this without too much damage."

"You didn't see his broken nose or the cut on his forehead," Kim pointed out, not quite sure why she replied that way.

A few seconds of awkward silence followed. "Yeah, I guess I didn't," Monique said, sounding tired again, "still, we'll all make sure he gets through this."

"Well, yeah, I hope we do," she replied, wishing she could be as confident as her friend was. "I'm sorry for calling so late and-"

Monique quickly cut her off upon hearing that she was apologizing. "Girl, listen, you have nothing at all to be sorry about. Even if we talked all night and I got no sleep, there's no way I could be angry with you. Your best friend is hurt. Heck, girl, he's my friend too, but we all know how close you two are. Ignore my feelings and let's concentrate on helping Ron however we can."

Kim smiled at hearing her friend say this. Monique sometimes could get a bit snippy with Ron (_Heck, so can I_, Kim reminded herself), but she was his friend and did truly care. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Monique. I'll let you get back to sleep."

"Kay, girl, try and sleep yourself. You wouldn't believe how tired you sound."

"Will do, Monique. Thanks again." Kim disconnected, and, finally feeling at peace (or maybe her body just decided to shut down), managed to fall asleep within the next 20 minutes.

Not that it was easy, of course. Reoccurring thoughts of Ron created a torturous atmosphere for her. Thoughts that suggested maybe Ron was awake at that same moment, crying out for someone because he doesn't know where he is, and no one coming. Thoughts that showed Kim the death of Ron's father and mother. Thoughts of Rufus, who still pinned under one of the seats at the wreck or maybe locked in the glove compartment, scratching rapidly, trying to free himself.

No, it was not at all easy for Kim to finally go to sleep that night, and though it might get a little better the next night if Ron did wake up, the teenager thought it might be a long while before she'd ever be able to get to sleep without worrisome thoughts and haunting images, and though they may not have said anything to her, both James and Ann Possible thought this too, as they were still awake in their room, not talking, but unable to sleep themselves.

They were worried for their daughter, and they were worried for Ron's family. Mostly, though, they were worried for Ron, and worried that perhaps it could just start getting worse instead of better.


	5. Forgotten Past

**Author's Note:**

**A few things; first off, this chapter is shorter than even the prologue, which, given the subject, makes sense. I know it's not exactly the roaring return I'd have preferred, but it came to my mind to do a chapter this way, and while I don't necessarily intend to write a chapter like this ever again, for this circumstance, I find it acceptable.**

**Secondly, this is all assuming that Team Possible began around 7th grade, and Ron went to Wannaweep around nine or ten years of age. If it was stated in the show the exact age he attended, then I made my one and only mistake of this caliber. :p**

**I do not own Kim Possible, nor do I have any intentions of buying the rights (if only...).  
**

**Any comments or reviews (I'll be honest, for this chapter, there's not a whole lot of room for reviews) would be appreciated, and with that, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to have a more story-oriented chapter up within the next few weeks. I'm currently in the process of writing more stories, and I'm not sure how many I can juggle at one time and still be a responsible author, but I guess I'll find out.**

**And yes, the name of the chapter is cheesy, but as I said before, I stand by the bad names, and if you really hate them, just ignore them.**

**Hope this finds any readers well.**

* * *

Kim had a dream, though unbeknownst to her at the time, it wasn't truly a dream; it was a memory long forgotten. After waking up, she never recalled the memory, aside from small glimpses, which made little sense to her, and as she was stressed at the time, she never thought to delve further into the scene, and it was eventually completely forgotten. What she dreamt may carry significant, or perhaps not (some people may argue that occurrences are random in life and carry no deeper meaning among introspection). Regardless of which choice people decide to believe, the dream, or more appropriately, memory, shall be examined.

Kim and Ron were seven years old, playing in the front of Kim's house. Perhaps it was tag; perhaps it was just what young children do, running around with no goal in mind aside from fun. Whatever the game, it's irrelevant until the young Ron Stoppable ran onto a nearby sidewalk, in front of an oncoming bike. He didn't see it; he was watching Kim at the time. The man on the bike tried to swerve, but the front wheel had already collided with Ron's right leg, causing a sickening crack to ring out.

Many things happened in succession: Ron screamed wildly while falling to the concrete sidewalk, not comprehending what happened; the bike rider stopped for a micro-second then sped away, not wanting to get any more involved than he already was; Kim saw what happened, and though she didn't know how hurt he was, screamed, "Mom!"; lastly, her mother heard the scream and starting moving toward Kim.

Ron was clutching his leg, rolling around on the sidewalk, tears and screams coming from his eyes and throat, respectively. Yelling in pain, oblivious to Kim's childish promises that 'everything would be okay,' he felt as if he would die due to the pain. Her mother ran out of the house (this was luckily before she took on longer hours at the hospital), worried to death something terrible had happened to her daughter. It didn't take the skills of a brain surgeon, however, to see that it wasn't Kim that was in extreme pain, but Ron.

The young boy was screaming and Kim was standing over him, frantically jumping around, and trying to get him to calm down. Rushing up to the younger children, she asked in a hysterical tone, "What happened," already seeing that one of Ron's legs was snapped, and though she wasn't an orthopedic doctor, Ann didn't think it looked good.

Her daughter babbled back a summary, "We were playing and Ron ran into the sidewalk and a bike hit him and didn't stop and he started screaming and-"

"Kimmie, enough," her mother firmly replied, assessing the situation and worried that Kim would get more wound up than she already was, and she really didn't want to have to deal with two extremely agitated children. Quickly deciding (not that it was a difficult choice, by any means), to call 9-1-1, she ran back into the house, carefully watching her daughter and friend through the window to ensure nothing more happened. The call was quick to place luckily (emergency calls can sometimes take a while and become lost in the shuffle of other calls placed), but with Ron's never-ceasing yells as the background noise, to Ann it felt like half an eternity.

From Ann's point of view, she saw that Kim was still trying to calm Ron down, which was far from being effective, not that she blamed Ron. One of Ann's biggest fears, however, was not the immediate problem of Ron's broken leg (which was a big problem, of course), but the outcome of this circumstance. She did not think herself as a bad parent, and knew perfectly well that sometimes these things just happen, and nothing can be done about it. No amount of increased parental guidance would have prevented it, unless the children weren't allowed to leave the house, and that's hardly the way to raise a child. Still, Ann had doubts that Elaine, Ron's mother, would agree with this certain appeal of logic. It was her son going to the hospital, not Ann's, for God's sake.

Elaine could reasonably request (or just demand, should she be angry enough) that Ron no longer play with Kim after this, and Ann knew that such an event would destroy her daughter. Every night at dinner, Kim talked about Ron and the fun they had that specific day non-stop, as if trying to relive every second of it. James and Ann weren't always able to catch all of it (a seven-year old girl talking excitably in run-on sentences could sometimes be hard to follow and decipher, especially with the twins babbling in the background), but they could tell, without a doubt, that Kim's joy was completely genuine. From what the two delighted parents could tell, the friendship between their daughter and Ron was very special.

After the 9-1-1 call was placed, Ann ran back outside to attempt some pain management techniques on Ron, not that she had the confidence she would have preferred that they would work. Their home wasn't particularly near many other houses, so she wasn't worried a crowd would form (not that, she suspected, even if one had, Ron would be in any condition to notice), but the constant yelling was unsettling and causing Ann a minor headache. Indeed, she heard it in the emergency room often, but it was much worse, she discovered, when it was coming from someone you knew as opposed to a complete stranger.

Both Ron and Kim, when Ann returned, were frantic. Tears of frustration were coming from Kim's eyes as no matter what she said, Ron wouldn't cease screaming, and Ron was shouting still, stopping for a few seconds to clench his jaw tightly in pain, his throat very nearly raw by this moment. In short, it was a scene of chaos and a nightmare for any mother to have to deal with.

Thinking about it for a split second and deciding her choice was right, to Kim, she told, sternly, "Go inside and wait, Kimmie. It'll be fine, just go."

The flaw in the plan, however, quickly became obvious: Kim had no intention of leaving Ron when he was in this much pain. She did, however, back away from her friend a little to give her mother some room. Ann thought about scolding her but decided this was not the time to do so. Bending down and trying to non-verbally calm Ron down, she looked into his eyes and could see that the young boy was terribly frightened. He probably thought he was going to die, and though Ann knew this was far from the case, she knew it would be useless to try to tell him that.

Instead of trying to assure him all would be well or explaining he wasn't going to die, Ann's motherly instinct kicked into high-gear, and she pulled the boy into her arms. The tight hug did calm Ron, though it wasn't very apparent. Only someone very skilled at reading facial expressions would be able to tell, and at that moment, no one was looking at Ron's face (which was for the best anyways, as his head was buried in Ann's chest).

They stayed in that position for almost seven minutes, Ron holding onto Ann, vice-versa, and Kim standing feet away, trying to sniff away some of her tears. Finally, an ambulance came, and the paramedics carefully secured Ron in the stretched and loaded him into the vehicle. Ann took Kim to the hospital minutes later after taking her aside, calming her down and making her more presentable.

The importance of this event, Kim never fully understood (as she forgot about it nearly a year after it happened; she was young, and not everything, no matter how emotionally scarring, could be remembered). Elaine and Martin did highly consider not allowing their son to play at the Possible residence anymore, but in the end, it was Ron who convinced them otherwise. They forgave both James and Ann around a month after the incident, and since, they have had no reservations about each other.

Because of this, though, Ron was almost forbidden to go on missions with Kim when they started Team Possible. With no parental supervision, Ron's parents didn't think their son would be safe. This lead to Ann having a very serious conversation with Kim about keeping Ron safe, and as Kim was, by this time, more responsible, she agreed to carefully watch over Ron, but never once in her mind did she connect that conversation with the event she dreamed.

Remarkably, Ron's injury healed rather quickly. He stayed in the hospital for four and a half weeks (of which Kim was there every single day despite the concerns of Ron's parents), and when he got out, his limp was very subtle, and eventually disappeared completely. Unlike his best friend, he never quite forgot this event. It became hazy sometimes, but it never completely deserted his memory. He understood, though, that for some reason, the event slipped Kim's memory, and he never brought it up (as he didn't care to dwell on such a morbid and painful thought).

As said prior, Kim didn't remember the dream after she woke. In fact, the only indication of the dream at all were the tears on her cheeks, which she wiped off mindlessly, assuming they were remnants of the stress and depression she felt the former day. Afterwards, she quickly got dressed and felt prepared, at least more so than she had felt yesterday, to face the new day.


	6. In Contrast

**Author's Note:**

**It's been a while, but ever since last week, I've been back on track. I have some semi-important information on my profile regarding changes I've made in my stories (this one included), and just general notes to keep in mind.**

**As far as this chapter is concerned, it's actually half of what I wrote down. I decided to divide what I had into two chapters, and I found a decent stopping point half-way through, made it dramatic, and thought it looked good.**

**Deepest thanks to all who've read my stories, deeper thanks to those who've left reviews and/or sent me messages. I love discussing my stories if there are any questions, so don't feel afraid to leave a review or send a message.**

**I can't say when I'll post the next chapter, but I will say that this story will be completed by the Summer of this year (or at least before August the 20th).**

**Kim Possible and Co. are not property of mine, nor do I possess the riches to buy them off Disney.**

**I don't think I'm missing anything, so it's nice to be back, and a good return gift would be tons and tons of reviews (I know, I'm an optimistic guy). Enjoy the sixth chapter.**

* * *

The alarm clock rang out and Kim immediately jerked upward. Groggily glancing at the clock, she read 6:30 am. _God, I got less than four hours of sleep_, she realized while yawning, _but if Ron's going to wake up today, I want to be there with him, no matter how tired I am._

Turning her pillow over as it was damp (_I cried so much last night, so it makes sense_), she slowly stood up to go shower and change. Not dawdling for even a second, by 7:00 am, she was dressed and ready to go to the hospital. Attempting to walk calmly to her parent's room (which, as anxious as she was, was a difficult feat), and when she arrived, she knocked loudly, and seconds later heard the shuffling of slippers as her father, who was shirtless and with bags under his eyes, opened the door.

"Kimmie, your mother and I are getting dressed right now," he stated while yawning before Kim could say anything. Running his hand through his corkscrewed hair, he continued, "We need to eat before we go anyway, so we can't leave immediately."

"Can't we get something on the way there," Kim asked, trying not to sound whiny but feeling as though she was failing terribly.

Sounding more exhausted than annoyed, her father replied, "Like where, Kimmie?"

"Uh, um, I-," Kim stammered, her mind blank, "I don't know." _It's not like I wanted to choose or had any place in mind, _she thought, aggravated, _I just wanted to get to Ron as soon as possible._

Stifling another yawn, listening to his daughter stumble on her words, James Possible had an epiphany. "Do you know if Beuno Nacho is open now," he asked gently, hoping his daughter wouldn't become too emotional at the suggestion, but thinking breakfast there, in a way, would make her feel better and allow her to deal with the whole situation they faced with more confidence.

Tears quickly brimmed from her eyes as anything connected to Ron caused an emotional wave to travel through her body, and as Ron practically lived in Bueno Nacho, it was a touchy topic. "Uh, yeah, I think so," she replied, sniffing and trying to causally wipe away the tears and keep herself under control.

"Do you think you want anything from there," he inquired in a soothing voice, watching her closely just to make sure she didn't have another breakdown (not that she couldn't have them in this situation, but obviously watching his daughter crying was not easy for James Possible).

"Yes," Kim replied firmly, though desperately wishing that her stomach would calm down and stop flipping.

He gave her a sad smile and nodded. "We'll be ready to go shortly. Your mother is going to try and get the twins to stay with their friends one more day so it will be easier on us all, but we're not sure that's possible yet."

For some odd reason, Kim had the urge to reiterate what her father had said the prior night about being a Possible, but fought it off. "Sure, Dad. That's fine. Tell her I said 'good morning.'"

Nodding, her father turned back into the room and shut the door, leaving Kim standing alone in the darkened hallway. For a split second, she felt even emptier than she felt the prior night, causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine. Shaking it off, Kim slowly sauntered to the living room, feeling as though the gloomy atmosphere of the early morning was a reflection of how she felt. Sighing, Kim reached the living room, and before sitting down, looked out the window to see what conditions they would be driving in.

The snowfall had tapered off by quite an amount, though a slow flurry was still coming down. The roads were semi-clear, but from what Kim saw, they'd be covered again within the next hour, if not sooner. Without thought, she dropped her eyes and turned around, sitting down in a chair, and for the first time, felt the full force of depression hit her – there were no tears, just the hollow feeling that now held her heart captive. _STOP_, Kim yelled in her mind, _don't go there. It's almost over. Ron will wake up tonight, we'll find Rufus somewhere, and his parents will be fine. _

"Nothing will happen," she said aloud, finishing her thought. Taking a big gulp, Kim lowered her head into her hands, feeling fresh tears fall. Not tears of sadness, per se, but of realization – the realization that although she may wish with all her heart that things in the end will work out, it probably won't. In this situation, she has no control whatsoever.

* * *

"Dr. Gonzales, please report to Room 405 W," rang the voice of the intercom, causing Kim to jump slightly.

Noticing her motion, but deciding not to bring it up, her father picked up another out-dated magazine to flip through. After picking up some Bueno Nacho for a good, albeit unorthodox, breakfast, the drive to the hospital went rather quickly. Kim wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, but as early as it was, and as tired as they all were, tensions were low along with conversation. _I guess_, Kim had thought at the time, slowly making her way through her Huevos rancheros meal, _it makes sense, as nothing really needs to be said. We get there, and we wait._

And indeed they were. As soon as they got to the hospital, her mother left to go make some arrangements so they could stay as long as necessary (Kim noted that her mother didn't look as though she'd have the authority to do so, but recalling her threat of resignation the former night, she had no doubt she'd be able to pull it off), leaving her husband and Kim sitting in an almost empty waiting room.

After placing down a magazine he had just picked up, James Possible released a deep sigh. To Kim, he stated, "It's been almost 25 minutes – what could she possibly be doing?"

Kim shrugged. It really didn't matter to her how long it took her mother to set things up, as long as she'd be able to see Ron as soon as possible. Sure, visiting hours were decently restrictive, but she was pretty sure they'd be able to get an extension granted. Ann had mentioned on the ride to the hospital that she knew Dr. Higgs well enough to be able to pull some strings. It didn't cognitively enter her daughter's mind at the moment, as she was in her own world at the time, but now the statement replayed in Kim's memory, leaving her hopeful.

Cradling his lowered head in his hands, her father, after thirty seconds of silence, said, "I'm sorry, Kimmie-cub, I didn't mean to sound impatient. I've been having a very stressful morning." The guilt in his voice obvious, Kim grabbed on to one of his hands.

"Dad, I know you didn't get that much sleep, so don't worry about it. I didn't exactly have the best night either," his daughter stated, realizing instantly that it sounded as though she was pouting. Deciding not to add to her statement, she just sat there, continuing to hold his hand. Her father hadn't replied, but took the words to heart, and despite his bad start to the day, attempted to gain a more positive outlook on the situation.

Time passed slowly, the lack of conversation just adding to the apparent length they spent sitting down in the waiting room chairs. 15 minutes after Kim's words to her father, Ann returned, appearing both highly stressed and rather satisfied. Nudging James' shoulder (he'd fallen into a light doze moments before Ann returned), she updated them on what was going on.

"I managed to obtain a small room near Ron," she began, rubbing her temple while speaking, as though she was attempting to drive away a headache, "and we can all wait there. It's a colleague's office, but he's in Missouri for some reason or another right now, so we can camp out there." Sighing and looking up, she carried on. "It's pretty cozy, and that way, other people won't bother us, and most importantly, it'll be a quiet atmosphere, so if we need to catch up on sleep, it shouldn't be a problem." Kim doubted she would take her mother up on that offer, despite how tired she was, but knew he father was hardly awake now, so doubted he'd be able to stay up all that much longer.

Turning her mind to other matters, Kim asked, "Has anyone spotted Rufus at all?" Not getting her hopes up, Kim wasn't surprised when her mother shook her head.

"Not yet, honey, but they are looking. If he's around, we'll find him," Ann said in a consoling tone.

Sighing, Kim ran her left hand through her red hair, stood up and stretched. "Any more news about Ron or his parents?"

Stalling for a few seconds, her mother eventually replied "Not really, Kimmie. Ron's still unconscious, and both parents are still in critical condition. Leroy has some ideas about what's going on with Elaine, but he's not sure yet, and it's not really in my field, so I can't really assist him on it."

"Honey," James spoke up since being awakened, a tired smile on his face, "I think you've done enough this morning, so consider it a blessing." Standing up himself after letting out a drawn-out yawn, he added, "Before we go to the office, I need to get some coffee." Looking down the hallway towards the hospital's cafeteria, James asked, "Could you two wait for me here? Better we go to the office together than leaving me to find it myself in this zombie-like trance."

Chuckling slightly, Ann replied, "its fine, honey. Kimmie," she began, turning to her daughter, "did you want anything from the cafeteria? I know we just ate, but maybe you want something to drink?"

Kim shook her head, saying, "No thanks, I think I'll survive for now." _And as lukewarm as I am toward Mexican food_, she thought to herself, _that breakfast this morning really filled me up._

"Did you want anything, Ann," James asked, rubbing out a kink in his neck with his right hand.

"I think I'm good," she replied, giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek, "we'll be right here waiting, so don't worry". Watching her husband begin to walk away, she let out a deep sigh. About to say something to her, Kim felt something collide with her body.

"Girl, how ya doing," shrieked Monique's voice, hugging her friend's body tightly.

The sudden shock wearing off quickly, Kim hugged her back with force, very happy that she wasn't tearing up like she thought she would.

They let each other go after almost a minute (despite the pain the two girls felt, Ann couldn't help but look amused at the situation), and instantly began talking.

"How's he doing, any change," Monique asked, her face showing her deep concern.

"Nah, nothing yet," Kim replied, happy to be talking to her second best friend in person, "I haven't seen him today yet. Were you able to get to sleep after I called you?"

Dismissing the question with a wave of the hand, her friend said, "What room's Ron in? I wanted to pick out something from the gift shop then drop by and leave it with him."

Giving a weak smile, knowing a gift wasn't going to help him heal any faster, Kim was about to reply when she realized she actually didn't know the number to Ron's room. _I didn't any attention to that last night_, she thought in a rushed tone to herself.

Knowing that Kim probably wouldn't recall, Ann stepped in and said, "Room 33. It's on this floor, and just down that hallway," (she pointed toward its general location) "with a few twists and turns. It's not too difficult to find."

Nodding, Monique replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Possible. Or Dr. Possible, I guess," she corrected herself, unsure of the proper title.

Smiling, Ann stated, "I'm off duty right now, so 'Mrs.' is fine. Do you know where the gift shop is?"

"Yep, I came in here after I broke my wrist wrestling a cute sweater away from this old woman once on Black Friday. Totally worth it," Monique explained, causing both Kim and her mother to laugh lightly.

"You girls and your fashion," Ann muttered, though smiling while saying it. "Well, you can go and get something if you like. We'll probably be with Ron once you're done, so if you can't find the room, just ask one of the nurses."

"Room 33, that hallways, twists and turns," Monique summarized, "got it." Pulling Kim into another quick hug, she told her "I'll see you shortly, girl. Don't worry." Waving to Mrs. Possible, she began walking back the way she came, and soon faded out of sight.

"I've never really talked to Monique before," Ann began, with a smile on her face, "but I can see why you two are friends."

Nodding and feeling slightly more at peace, Kim replied, "Yeah, she's cool. I can't believe I saw her only yesterday after school. Feels like ages ago. Ron and Felix were there, and –" she broke off her statement, and Ann gained the sense that she might start crying again. Not wanting to see her daughter so sad so soon, she spoke up.

"When I was getting dressed this morning, I ran into this in the closet," Ann said, pulling out of her pocket some picture. "I must have forgotten it after I got it developed, or something. I think it's from a few years ago." Handing Kim the picture, she carefully watched her daughter's reaction while she examined it.

Kim's first thought, upon seeing the picture, was Christmas. _I think this was two years ago,_ she thought to herself, looking at the sight of both Kim and Ron huddled around a rather large amount of presents. As Ron was Jewish, he didn't really celebrate Christmas, but he spent every December 25th with Kim since they met in Pre-K just the same. In the picture, Ron was unwrapping a gift that Kim had bought him with a bright smile on his face – the present wasn't anything really important, just a video game and a CD he'd been after for a while – but Ron had loved it just the same, and also, Kim spotted Rufus in the background, chewing on a candy cane. Kim herself was right next to Ron, a large grin on her face, watching Ron's enthusiastic reaction. Mimicking the grin present day, Kim looked up to her mother.

"Why give this to me now," she asked, with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"Well, honey, I really did just find it this morning, but more importantly," her mother replied, "I want you to know that no matter what happens with Ron, and don't take this the wrong way, I think he'll be fine, you'll always have the great memories you've shared together. Though right now Ron's not physically awake, he's still with us in our hearts, and its pictures like this that will keep him there."

Not knowing to reply, Kim just dropped her eyes to the picture to drink the sight in. Feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder, Ann lightly said, "Keep the picture with you. I think it will help you feel better, and when Ron wakes up, you can share it with him. Both of you can benefit from this." Subconsciously nodding, her mother then said, "There's your father."

Looking up, Kim saw her father walking back, waving with his right hand and holding a cup in the other. Though Kim had no idea if he'd already drunk any coffee, she could tell he looked more awake and animated. Stopping a few feet away, he asked, "Was that Monique I heard while I was walking away?"

Nodding, Ann replied, "Yes. She went to go get Ron something from the gift shop, so we'll be seeing her again soon, I'd assume. You're looking better, James," Kim's mother pointed out, smiling while saying so. "As a doctor, I should warn you against drinking too much of it."

"As adamant as ever to keep me healthy, I see," James replied, chuckling. "So," he said, grabbing hold of Ann's left hand with his free one, "lead the way to the office, honey. I could use some comfort about now."

Trailing behind them, Kim was focused more on the picture in her hands then the route to the office where she assumed she'd be spending a large amount of time that day. Barely noticing the time pass, it came as a shock to Kim that seemingly seconds later there were in the middle of a posh-looking office, with paintings by someone named Ivan Aivazovsky adorning the wall.

"Whoever this guy is," James began, looking around approvingly, "he has good taste." Sitting down in a padded chair, he took a small gulp of coffee and laid his head back.

"You remember Vyachek Grebenshchikov, right honey," Ann asked, placing her small purse onto the desk. "You know, the older, Russian male? You met him a few times at the Haunted House event a few years ago."

James nodded, replying, "Yep, I recall him. Seemed like a nice guy, though he had a bit of a strong accent."

Smiling, Ann said, "Yeah, that's him. He's not much different now, and still has the same accent. Anyways, I got permission to use his office as long as we don't touch anything. Ron's room is just a hallway away, so I thought it was a good bargain."

Moving her eyes off the Aivazovsky painting, Kim said, "Yeah, this place is pretty cool. So, can I see Ron?"

"I was just about to ask you if you were ready," her mother stated. To her husband, she asked, in a slightly accusatory tone, "James, are you coming with us?"

Rubbing his temple, he lightly nodded, adding, "I'll be with you two shortly. I just want to finish this coffee first before it cools down."

Sighing, Ann didn't reply, and motioned for Kim to follow her out of the office. Once out of earshot, Kim said, "I had no idea dad was so squeamish."

"Yeah, people are generally surprised by that," Ann confirmed, leading her daughter to Ron's room, "I think it started when Slim got hurt back when your dad was young. I forgot what the injury was, but since then, blood and your father haven't gotten along too well. I wouldn't expect him to visit Ron immediately, Kimmie."

Intrigued by this revelation, and tempted to ask more about it, her voice stopped working once she walked into Ron's room and saw her best friend. He was looking much better tonight then he was when last Kim saw him, but in a way, it was almost worse – despite looking more or less unhurt, it made it more painful to Kim that he wasn't awake. Dr. Higgs was looking over some charts when they entered, and said a jovial hello once he saw them.

"I take it there's no news, Leroy," Ann asked, looking at Ron with a pained look in her eyes herself.

Shaking his head, Higgs replied, "No, nothing yet. I still think he'll be awake by tonight though, so don't let it weight too heavy on your conscious. The real healing will start tomorrow, once we can see what other injuries he has, be them mental or not." Noticing Kim was barely paying attention to his words, and Ann herself wasn't looking at him, he added, "I'll get out of your way for now. I'll step in a little later to see it there are any alterations."

"Sounds good, Leroy," Ann replied, nodding her head. Leroy collected his papers and writing utensils and was about to exit the room when Monique stepped through the door, colliding with Higgs.

Letting out an "oomph" sound, Monique about fell to the ground before Leroy managed to grab hold of her. "Terribly sorry, miss. Can I help you," he asked, clearly not knowing who she is.

"Nah, dude, it's cool. I'm with them," Monique replied, nodding toward Kim and her mother.

"Ah, well, then nice to meet you," Leroy cordially said, shaking her left hand, "I'm Doctor Higgs, Mr. Stoppable's doctor."

Smiling, she shook his hand then walked past him, going up to Kim. Still slightly shook up, Leroy gave a consoling nod to Ann, and then left the room, quickly walking to another location.

"Huh," Monique uttered upon getting her first glimpse of Ron, "he doesn't look too beat up."

"Well, honey, he was much worse last night," Ann informed her, though agreeing with her current assessment. "Did you manage to find anything at the shop," she asked, noting she wasn't holding anything in her hands.

"Yeah, actually," Monique replied, reaching into her left pocket and pulling out a slender box. "Sorta girly, I guess, but I thought of him as soon as I saw it." Handing it over to Kim for inspection, Monique's friend looked over the gift.

The box had a small 'Get Well Soon' message on it, and when she opened the box, she gasped slightly. "Wow, this is so cool," Kim said, carefully pulling the necklace out. It was a shiny, silver Star of David. She didn't know too much about jewelry (Kim was much more a clothes girl than a jewelry one), but she did think it looked extremely nice. _It's perfect. Ron will love it._

Ann, Kim noted, appeared to have the same thought on the gift as did her daughter. "That's very nice, Monique. It looks expensive though; I hope you didn't set yourself back too much."

"Nah," Monique replied, "it was just over 30 bucks, didn't seem too bad. Anyways, it's for Ron, and I'm sure he'll deeply appreciate it when he sees it."

"I bet," Ann said, taking another glance at the silver necklace resting in Kim's hands. Turning her eyes away, she looked back toward Monique. "Thanks for coming out her in this weather. That was a very brave thing to do."

Waving her hand, Monique replied, "It's for a friend, so it wasn't even really a choice." Looking toward Kim, and without verbal speaking, the two hugged each other again. "Stay strong girl," she muttered in her ear, and said the same thing, sans 'girl,' to her unconscious friend in bed. "You can just leave the necklace in his drawer, and when he finds it, tell him it was me. I'll stop by tomorrow, and he can thank me then."

Nodding, Kim released her friend and Monique walked out of the room, giving a weak smile to Ann before doing so. Her heart feeling both heavy and light at the same time, Kim pulled up a wooden chair to Ron's bed and sat by his side, grabbing hold of Ron's right hand.

"I'll go check on your father," Ann said, and Kim heard her feet shuffle out. Looking at Ron, Kim laid her head down near his chest, continuing to hold his hand in hers. In contrast to the former night, Kim didn't feel sad, nor did she have the urge to cry. Ron would wake up that night, she knew, and things would begin to improve, even if it took a while. _Even though he's still asleep at the moment, _Kim realized,_ I'm here for him now._

And it was this comforting that Kim Possible dozed off to, not knowing how quickly peace would dissipate when she woke up in a matter of mere minutes.


End file.
